Chris Rusin

The Cubs used their 12th starting pitcher of the season when they met the Pirates Saturday afternoon at sunny Wrigley Field . Jason Berken , recently claimed off waivers from the Orioles, was the loser after allowing six runs in four innings, although the Cubs left the bases loaded in the ninth inning in eventual 7-6 defeat. "All these guys who are filling these (starting) holes that we have, we're just trying to get them to shorten the game somehow and in a perfect world to go deep into the seventh inning," manager Dale Sveum said.

This Cubs - Cardinals rivalry isn't quite what it used to be, as shown when only 29,100 tickets were sold for Friday's 5-4, 11-inning Cubs' victory at cold and damp Wrigley Field. Not only are there two first-year managers in Dale Sveum and Mike Matheny, but players who haven't experienced the hey-day of the bitter rivals. "Obviously we have a lot of young guys on the team so right now it has to be built up a little bit, but a rivalry is a rivalry," Sveum said.

MILWAUKEE — While the Cubs are on pace to lose 100 games for only the third time in franchise history, manager Dale Sveum doesn't think it's affecting the players. "Everybody knows that the 100-loss thing is obviously a number," Sveum said. "You're still going day to day. You're not worried about the final record as much as winning that day. "That's the bottom line. Obviously no one wants to lose 100 games. You have to plug away every single day, grind it out. " One player who can "grind out" at-bats is Bryan LaHair , who fell out of favor last month and now is coming off the bench.

Dale Sveum said before Wednesday night's 11-inning 6-5 loss to the Reds that the Cubs would spend money to make improvements this offseason. Just how much money is another question. The Cubs will have plenty to spend with so many huge contracts off the books in 2013 and increased revenues from Major League Baseball 's TV deals. But the idea of dropping around $150-$175 million for an impact signing, like free agent slugger Josh Hamilton , isn't part of the rebuilding plan.

Manager Dale Sveum referred Saturday to Brett Jackson's progress as a series of "building blocks" for the center fielder. "A lot of guys have to understand when they have these struggles, there's always that last at-bat when you can win a baseball game or tie it," he said before the 4-3 loss to the Rockies. Jackson homered for the second straight game but also was caught looking at the plate for the final out, his 31st strikeout in 61 at-bats. The process of learning on the job continues.

It might not be what Theo Epstein was looking for in spring training , but the Cubs ' push for 63 wins is officially on. A 63rd win would mean the Cubs have avoided the 100-loss mark, reached only twice in franchise history. After they defeated the Giants 6-4 on Friday for their 51st win, Anthony Rizzo guaranteed the Cubs would not lose 100. "I know it's something I don't want to be part of," Rizzo said. "The magic number is down to 12 wins now. I was talking about it today.

WASHINGTON — The Cubs ' minor league system had two teams make the postseason — Class A Boise, a short-season club, and their Rookie League team in Mesa, Ariz. Asked if he has been able to evaluate the system from his managerial seat, Dale Sveum said only through minor league reports, pitchers' velocity and talking to others in the organization. "Sounds like we've got some pretty exciting people down in Boise right now," he said. "Obviously far away there, but sounds like some of the draft is coming through the way we've hoped it would.

PITTSBURGH -- Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija will be shut down for the rest of the season after Saturday's start against Pittsburgh, manager Dale Sveum announced on Friday. Samardzija is healthy and has been the Cubs only consistent starter in the second half, but management is concerned about his workload after being converted from a reliever to a starter in 2012. Samardzija received the news a couple days ago, and stonewalled the media until Sveum's announcement, saying he didn't know what was going to happen to him. He wanted to continue, but the Cubs were adamant.

The Cubs sure have no pity for the Pirates , who are trying to avoid their 20th straight losing season. With Friday's 7-4 loss to the Cubs, the Pirates have fallen to just one game above .500 even though they remain in wild-card playoff contention. And the Cubs, trying to avoid 100 losses, have been main contributors to the downfall, with their fourth victory over the Pirates in the last week. Chris Rusin sure didn't have any regrets over Friday's victory because it was his first in four tries as a major leaguer.

WASHINGTON — Just before the start of the fifth inning of Tuesday night's game at Nationals Park , the Nationals ' radio broadcasters played a sound bite from the iconic baseball movie "Field of Dreams. " "Hey, is this heaven?" "No, it's Iowa. " The play-by-play man chuckled at the joke, explaining to listeners that several Cubs pitchers were from their Iowa farm club. But it was no laughing matter to Dale Sveum , whose rookie-laden staff looked dazed and confused while serving up six home runs in an 11-5 loss to the Nationals.

If it all starts with starting pitching — and that's something old and new schools of baseball thinkers seem to agree on — then the Cubs are in trouble for the near future. Because of trades, injuries and ineffectiveness, Jason Berken became the 12th starter the Cubs have used this season. And his debut Saturday was forgettable in a 7-6 loss to the Pirates . Two other starters, Chris Rusin and Brooks Raley have won their first big league games. The Cubs' winningest pitcher, Paul Maholm , has been with the Braves for six weeks.

The Cubs used their 12th starting pitcher of the season when they met the Pirates Saturday afternoon at sunny Wrigley Field . Jason Berken , recently claimed off waivers from the Orioles, was the loser after allowing six runs in four innings, although the Cubs left the bases loaded in the ninth inning in eventual 7-6 defeat. "All these guys who are filling these (starting) holes that we have, we're just trying to get them to shorten the game somehow and in a perfect world to go deep into the seventh inning," manager Dale Sveum said.

The Cubs sure have no pity for the Pirates , who are trying to avoid their 20th straight losing season. With Friday's 7-4 loss to the Cubs, the Pirates have fallen to just one game above .500 even though they remain in wild-card playoff contention. And the Cubs, trying to avoid 100 losses, have been main contributors to the downfall, with their fourth victory over the Pirates in the last week. Chris Rusin sure didn't have any regrets over Friday's victory because it was his first in four tries as a major leaguer.

HOUSTON — While the White Sox and Tigers engaged in a pennant race Monday on the South Side, the Cubs and Astros squared off in a series between baseball's bottom feeders. Both teams were staring at a 100-loss season, and starters Chris Volstad and Dallas Keuchel combined for a 3-17 record entering the game. When the two worst teams in baseball get together, it's anyone's guess as to which one will blink first, but a near certainty that few fans will care. Only a few hundred hung around until the end of the Cubs' 4-1 win, in a game that took 3 hours, 50 minutes to complete.

PITTSBURGH — Jeff Samardzija learned he will be shut down for the rest of the season after Saturday's start. That means the Cubs ' chances of avoiding 100 losses are dimmer. Samardzija was the only remaining starter who has been consistent, and his shutdown will leave Chris Volstad as the last of the original starters from opening week. The five starters who will take the Cubs down the stretch — Volstad, Travis Wood , Justin Germano, Chris Rusin and Jason Berken , a 28-year-old Orioles right-hander claimed on waivers Friday — were a combined 8-29 with a 5.72 ERA entering the opener Friday night of the three-game series against the Pirates . But Wood was dominant in the 12-2 romp, throwing six shutout innings and allowing only one hit while snapping a personal eight-game losing streak and the Cubs' six-game losing streak.

WASHINGTON — Just before the start of the fifth inning of Tuesday night's game at Nationals Park , the Nationals ' radio broadcasters played a sound bite from the iconic baseball movie "Field of Dreams. " "Hey, is this heaven?" "No, it's Iowa. " The play-by-play man chuckled at the joke, explaining to listeners that several Cubs pitchers were from their Iowa farm club. But it was no laughing matter to Dale Sveum , whose rookie-laden staff looked dazed and confused while serving up six home runs in an 11-5 loss to the Nationals.

HOUSTON — While the White Sox and Tigers engaged in a pennant race Monday on the South Side, the Cubs and Astros squared off in a series between baseball's bottom feeders. Both teams were staring at a 100-loss season, and starters Chris Volstad and Dallas Keuchel combined for a 3-17 record entering the game. When the two worst teams in baseball get together, it's anyone's guess as to which one will blink first, but a near certainty that few fans will care. Only a few hundred hung around until the end of the Cubs' 4-1 win, in a game that took 3 hours, 50 minutes to complete.

WASHINGTON — The Cubs ' minor league system had two teams make the postseason — Class A Boise, a short-season club, and their Rookie League team in Mesa, Ariz. Asked if he has been able to evaluate the system from his managerial seat, Dale Sveum said only through minor league reports, pitchers' velocity and talking to others in the organization. "Sounds like we've got some pretty exciting people down in Boise right now," he said. "Obviously far away there, but sounds like some of the draft is coming through the way we've hoped it would.